


Skating A Figure Around the Stars

by SeoulWings13



Series: LiT - D.Min/Dongho Centric [5]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Falling In Love, Friendship, Gen, Ice Skating, No Romance, Sports, World Figure Skating Championships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeoulWings13/pseuds/SeoulWings13
Summary: Minsung has always loved ice skating. His idol, Kang Dongho, has too. When the pressure was too much for Dongho, Minsung's performance helped him fall back in love with the sport.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | D.Min & Lee Minsung
Series: LiT - D.Min/Dongho Centric [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167359
Comments: 11
Kudos: 10





	1. Teach Me To Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedFox66](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFox66/gifts).



> Fox Ilysm for everything-
> 
> You're always there on all my fics, and then you helped me with Final Scream. You're too precious.
> 
> please enjoy your present.

Minsung skated around the ice rink. His pastel hair whipped around as the ice dancer spun effortlessly in the air. His brother may have chosen to pursue contemporary, but the frozen kingdom was where Minsung reigned. The whoosh of his skates on ice sounded like flapping wings. It was fitting with how Minsung managed to glide through the air. He was slightly warm and moved to the side to shed his jacket. 

A tall dark-haired boy was sitting on the bench near his things. His knuckles were white and his body trembling with fear. Minsung looked to the sides. The coach was walking towards them, smiling. The dark-haired boy smiled a little. Coach gestured for Minsung to come closer. Minsung stepped off the ice to sit by the stranger.

"Minsung, this is your new partner. Kang Dongho." Minsung was surprised. He hadn't had a partner since Minsoo quit. Competitions were always solo. Furthermore, Kang Dongho was a familiar name. It was a name that had littered the headlines of every sports magazine. 

"Kang Dongho Scores Perfectly Again"

"Is He The Next Kim Jin-seo??"

"Kang Dongho Set To Be The Youngest Olympian"

"Korea's National Treasure, Kang Dongho."

"Exclusive Interview With Kang Dongho, Korea's Youngest Olympian."

"Kang Dongho Won A Gold Medal At The Olympics"

However, the further you dug into all the news, Dongho was stressed. He was depressed. Girls were throwing themselves at him. He wasn't comfortable with all the attention. Skating became a chore and keeping his title the most agonizing of work. He had no time for rest, his body littered with bruises from falls. He had been Minsung's idol. They were the same age, same height, and were doing the same sport. Minsung had never expected to meet his idol, and certainly not like this. Not after the headlines.

"Kang Dongho Suffers a Broken Ankle. Will He Skate Again?"

"Allegations Kang Dongho Has Been In Several Scandals"

"10 Reasons Kang Dongho Should Be Canceled"

"Korea's National Treasure Turns Out To Be Fool's Gold"

"Broken Ankle, No More Playing. Good Riddance To Kang Dongho."

Minsung had been angry. He and hundreds of Korean citizens didn't see the lies in the news. Dongho, the sweetest skater was buried under scandals. He was too perfect. Too nice. Minsung didn't know that. When Dongho had vanished from the skating world, his own career had started to pick up. Minsung became a well-known skater, but even he was frustrated by the amount of talent his idol had. 

But here he was. He was sitting right in front of him. He looked so innocent and small. Minsung didn't understand. Where was the idol wreathed in scandals? Where was the famed skater who held himself with confidence and had a confident gaze? This wasn't the idol who flowed like water to beats. This was a boy.

"He had an accident, but he's ready to skate again. I trust you'll help him?" 

Well. That confirmed it. It was Kang Dongho. The famed skater. Minsung nodded and the coach turned to leave. Dongho was lacing up his skates. Instinctively, Minsung crouched to help him. There was no reason he did, or shouldn't have. He just liked helping others.

The two skated around for a while, Minsung performing his routine. He waited for the music to play before starting. His opening pose was held at the ready. Dongho skated out of his way to watch. A song poured out of the speakers. It was unlike anything Dongho had heard before. Minsung, however, looked completely at ease. 

He pushed off, a triple toe loop landing perfectly on beat. Slowly a piano started to play and a soulful voice rushed into Dongho's ears. He registered the Lutz and was shocked. Minsung had flawless form.

"Skating a figure 'round a star"

"Don't know whether to go near or far"

"In this land I see, baby you just best believe"

Minsung spun in the air. His white beanie shimmered with frozen beads of sweat. The dramatic excess of ballet-like movements amused Dongho. He too had been like that. He too had worked very hardest until he felt every muscle break. There was so much beauty in the art of ice dancing. Lines were left in the wake of Minsung's skates, evidence of his masterpiece. Dongho was impressed with the smoothness of his movements. 

"I'm cutting diamonds in the sky"

"Streaking flames across the night"

"Baby I'm just dreamin' for greater things"

Dongho had dreamt. He had accomplished greater things. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. The rumors, his injury, the lack of love for the sport, Dongho was tired of it all. It was easy to start and easy to climb. Staying at the top when the entire world was against you was the hardest thing. He had carved the most intricate of pictures on the ice. Silver skates were his silver linings. Minsung bounced up, into the air. It was clear he was spinning for a triple loop, but the momentum was lacking and he only did a double. 

Dongho heard a muttered curse from the skater. He understood the feeling all too well. Maybe, like Minsung, he could learn to love the sport again. What drove Minsung forward to skate? What motivated him to get on the ice in freezing weather and practice? What had driven him to do that all those years ago? Minsung arched a hand above his head. Without his jacket, the skater was ethereal on the ice. 

"Like a snowflake on the wind"

"I'll watch the stars align"

"Tonight"

"When they"

"Are bright"

"I'll try"

"And find you"

Dongho liked the song choice. he found it beautiful and intimately written. It wasn't a song about lovers; as a competitor, he and Minsung had no room to love another person. It was a love for the sport, a love Dongho had lost. He ran his fingers through his hair, lost in the beauty of the skating before him. He forgot the technical aspects of the sport and just watched an angel dance. 

"Together we'll skate around the stars."

"Figure eights, triple axles"

"We'll become a constellation" 

"Ingrained forever"

"In the Heavens"

Minsung finished his routine with heaving breaths. There was nothing left to do but do a quick stretch and he'd be done for the day. He watched Dongho hesitantly push off from the wall. His skating was as graceful as ever. Talent and natural gifts were smiling down on the more experienced skater. A wave of jealousy coursed through him. All the scandals, all the schools, all the rinks and it had to be him. Kang Dongho. He turned to leave when a strained voice called him back.

"The rumors aren't true." It was a paper-thin voice, but it was one Minsung knew well. "They aren't true."

Minsung turned. "What do you mean?"

"When you're at the top, everyone will try and tear you down. I broke my ankle and then the rumors started."

"You let them do that to you?"

Dongho gave an ashamed nod. "I didn't know what to do."

Minsung's face softened a little. Maybe Dongho deserved another chance. Maybe he needed help loving the sport again. Minsung didn't need to worry though. Dongho was already entranced by ice skating again. It was Minsung's performance that had made him rethink his decisions and questioned why he was even at the rink. The two shared a small smile. 

Minsung left Dongho to practice, the former champion etching a masterpiece in the ice.


	2. Teach Me To Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust, fragile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did a pt 2 to this 
> 
> whee 
> 
> deal with it

Competiton in two months. Minsung was ready to work with Dongho. Both were masterful skaters, but they didn't have the bond of trust. They may be on the road to becoming friends, and Minsung my know everything about Dongho, but there was no trust between them. Certainly not enough to let Dongho spin Minsung in an effortless, elegant movement. The first time they tried, Minsung had fallen. He was shaking so much Dongho lost his grip. There was no relationship outside of the rink. The two were just like strangers.

Minsung could think he knew everything about Dongho, but what did he know? He knew the distorted media's version of Dongho. He didn't know the boy standing in front of him. This competition would mean everything to him. His brother would have something to be proud of, even though they were competitors. What Minsung couldn't grasp is the reluctance of which Dongho approached the competition. He wasn't full of the competitive spirit Minsung had seen in all those videos. 

Dongho didn't want to compete. He wanted to stay on the ice and flow, but being better, being the ice prince everyone expected was too much. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the pressure, it was more the attention scared him. He had been so traumatized after the rumors came out, so scared of the media and the public eye. Cameras were nightmare fuel, the outside was out to get him. Often he had hidden in his closet and even more frequently had cried behind locked doors. They weren't true. The rumors were all false. Now he was back on the ice, expected to be the big star again. All he wanted was to skate, not win. It had never been about winning.

Yet, who was he to let Minsung down? Minsung, who spent hours on the ice with the only goal of being better. Dongho didn't know why- they weren't close enough for that- but he admired it. He wanted to be closer to Minsung, but how? How does one become closer to someone through a purely work-related environment? He couldn't. He wasn't ready. Kang Dongho, still terrified of people in general, had no courage to strike up a conversation with the only person who believed him after hearing the allegations were false. 

Minsung was focusing. On the ice was the only time the roar in his head faded, and he could think. Words rattled in his head. _"Be better._ _You're a role model Minsung. Minsoo needs someone to look up to. If you can't hold that responsibility, you might as well take the blame for everything he does wrong. Every failure is on you because you're older. As long as you do well he will. If you aren't, then you're doing something wrong."_

It broke his focus and he fell. Minsung landed with a crash on the ice in a heap of limbs. He swore softly under his breath, and louder when he realized Dongho had just walked in. They needed to win so he could show Minsoo he was still qualified and an actual older brother. It wasn't his fault he wasn't perfect, and yet it was. Minsoo this and Minsoo that. Minsung just wanted to impress someone while being good for him, not for Minsoo. There was no reason for him to become a skater, it was because Minsoo wanted to skate. 

Dongho helped him up, and Minsung wanted to shake off his hand. He didn't need it. Yet, practice must go on. The two danced on the ice, in sync for once. When Dongho reached to spin Minsung, time seemed to stop. Minsung panicked and fell from Dongho's grasp. There was no fluidity, no gracefulness. Just the crashing down of limbs. It was a wonder no one was cut by the flailing ice skating blades. Dongho shook a little. He was scared of hurting Minsung, but neither trusted the other to commit to the move. 

_Trust. Such a beautiful word. Years to build, seconds to destroy. Neither was willing to trust the other._

"I can't do this, Minsung."

"Can't do what?"

"The move. Every time we've tried, you've fallen and I'm scared what will happen if we don't get lucky." Dongho looked down at his fingers, of which were shaking. It was partially his fault, but if they didn't compete, they didn't compete. 

"You don't trust me."

"I mean, you don't trust me."

"Dongho, you don't understand. I need to get to this competition and I need to win it. It's so important, we need to do this."

"Then trust me Minsung." 

"How can I when you aren't 100% focused on practice?"

"I don't want to go to the competition."

The words hung, frozen in the air. Minsung's shocked face looked back at Dongho.

"Why not?" The words were scathing, almost as if they had knives. 

"I j-just. I c- I can't tell you."

"Fine." Minsung pulled himself up off the ice and skated towards the exit door. "We don't have to compete." 

"What's so big about this tournament? There are others coming up!"

Minsung looked over his shoulder. "Lee Minsoo."

-

This was how much Dongho didn't know about Minsung. He barely knew his last name. Social media was useful in this case, and he looked up "Lee Minsoo." An account popped up, a talented young ice skater in their area. He looked to be slightly younger than Dongho and bore a striking resemblance to Minsung. He was good. And yet, something about him was nagging at Dongho. Out of curiosity, he looked up "Lee Minsung."

An account with a slightly larger following greeted him. It was clearly his colleague, they weren't friends but were closer than acquaintances, but there weren't any ice skating photos. Strange, Minsung seemed to have dedicated his entire life to the sport. There were images of Lee Minsoo and Minsung, pictures of friends, quotes, and the occasional song. No ice or skates or flips. 

_Who was Lee Minsung?_

Minsun was searching up "Kang Dongho." As expected skating came up, but also an account for a cat. Dongho had a cat? When had the "Boba" become a part of his life? How much did he know about Dongho, really? The pictures were all the fuzzy creature, though it had been inactive, the last post captioned, "I live in the states now :(" 

Minsung didn't know how, but his phone ended up across the room and onto his bed. Why the heck would Dongho not want to compete? Didn't he know what this meant to Minsung? But... but he didn't. Minsung never told him anything. They weren't friends, weren't even acquaintances. They were strangers. All Minsung had been focused on was Minsoo and being better for his brother, but maybe, Minsoo wasn't the entire world he was supposed to revolve around.

_Who was Kang Dongho?_

Shooting Dongho a text, cringing at their previous conversation asking about practice time, and trying to relax wasn't easy. Minsung rewrote it, eventually asking Dongho to meet up at a cafe in an hour. Dongho received the text and replied with a quick okay. 

They had no idea who the other was, but they were going to figure it out, or (figuratively) die trying.

-

Black coffee. Dongho got a black coffee. Minsung shuddered. He desperately wanted his steamed milk and espresso shot, but if Dongho wanted black coffee, he was going to drink it with him. 

Dongho was mentally kicking himself. Black coffee and he'd seen Minsung shudder. Minsung probably liked something a little sweeter or creamier. Yet, he'd been an idiot and ordered what he wanted. 

Never being good with sugarcoating, he flat out said what was on his mind. "Who is this Lee Minsoo?" 

Minsung hesitated. "My brother."

"Elaborate."

"Basically, I gotta be perfect for him. My parents said every failure I had he'd copy. If he failed at all it was my fault. They told me to be perfect for him, but I just don't want to anymore." It was like a plug had been pulled, ad words just rushed out of Minsung. 

"It made our relationship go south and now I'm sure he hates me. I love him to death, but now I'm just seen as that perfect older brother he can't attain. I wanna be human with him, I don't want to be responsible for his problems, and I've done everything to be the best for him. I skated for him, I learned how to sing for him, I even learned how to do differential calculus for him. It was all to be perfect for him, but then he couldn't get it all as I did. It didn't click for him, and that's okay, but then my parents started saying it was my fault." He paused to draw a breath and push the hair out of his eyes. 

"I can't be perfect for him all the time, but I feel like I have to. There's so much freaking pressure on me. The pressure I never wanted. I didn't want to become a better version of him, I want to be Lee Minsung. I'm a guy who actually loves singing, and I'll just play with music. I'm not a skater, I'm not any of this."

It wasn't that Minsung didn't know he was crying, but he didn't realize he was crying. It wasn't until a tear fell into his drink and his eyes felt swollen that he realized the sadness pouring down his face. Dongho looked on sympathetic, though his face was riddled with questions.

"Then... why push to compete and keep practicing?"

"I was hoping if I did it more I could love it." It was such a raw, anguished answer, one that Dongho understood. He loved the sport, never once thinking that someone would skate even if they hated it.

"And the competition?" 

"Media. Minsoo. Mom and dad."

That hurt Dongho. It was exactly why he wanted to run from skating, minus the brother bit. He loved the sport, but pressure, even the pressure Minsung was under, was too much for anyone. Yet, as he thought he was the only one who felt like that, he started to come out of his world. Kang Dongho was selfish. Kang Donghoo needed to get out of his own head and realize other people get hurt and other people are afraid. That hurt Dongho's pride, just a little. He was so trapped in his own head, he didn't realize others could be as well. 

"Your turn. Who's Boba?"

"My cat. Boba's in the states with my parents. I'm hiding in Korea actually."

"Why?"

"So I can stay away from them." Dongho fidgets with his hands. "It's a trust thing."

"Media? Rumors?" Minsung guessed.

Dongho nodded. "Yeah. And I had to get away from cameras."

"And if you competed..." Minsung started.

"...There'd be cameras and media and rumors everywhere." Dongho finished.

"This coffee is bitter. Like our lives." 

"Minsung, we're still young."

"I meant what I said. We don't have to compete."

"Maybe not, but let's get the routine down?"

"You trust me?"

"Maybe a little more now that I know you."

Minsung smiled. "Alright. Let's get it down."

-

_I know I am alone_

_My trust is torn to shreds_

Minsung and Dongho both took starting positions, skating in sync. Dongho became a shadow as Minsung flipped and performed a triple lutz. Then, it was Dongho's turn. Minsung faded to the background as a triple toe loop sent Dongho flying through the air.

_Don't look at me with a smile claim that "It's ok."_

_You know it isn't._

_Life's not perfect_

It wasn't about the routine anymore. Anyone could soar through the air like they were doing. For them, it was the lyrics, the message in the song. They both were more similar than either realized, and that was okay. They just needed to get out of their own heads.

_How can you look at me from far away?_

_How do you live with yourself?_

_After you left._

_I told you everything_

For Dongho, it was the media. For Minsung it was Minsoo. Minsung loved his brother to the ends of the earth, and yet he was seen as overbearing, unfair, stupidly perfect, and unattainable. Where had it gone sour? Why did the media choose to spread all the knowledge of Dongho, though it wasn't correct? They existed to hurt and destroy. Hurt and destroy they did.

_Hiding the rumors that may be true_

_Wipe a tear as I feel blue_

_Now I'm battle-scarred_

_Know not to trust_

Neither trusted the media or what was circling on social media. Dongho had been bitten once, twice shy.

_I see you dripping in finesse_

_Like a fox who knows the damage caused_

_With every secret out_

_I won't hide_

_I won't die_

_Hiding the pain_

_Fake a smile_

_Act happy_

_Live life_

There was no way the media was supposed to know they had gotten to Dongho. He could cry in private, but publically, no. Dongho was supposed to be strong. 

_With no one to trust_

_Sir, I'm shaking, I'm breaking_

_I'm so scared inside_

Strength. Being freaking strong. 

_How can I survive?_

_Every breath is a thousand needles_

_Stabbing my lungs_

Cultivating the little flower called trust, the two finished their routine. The dreaded move had been pulled off well, leaving them a little more hopeful than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall like it? comment? please?

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics mine. Again. :D
> 
> i sang myself hoarse. why did i set the lyrics in such a high key?


End file.
